Situation in Kashmir not conducive for polls, says former CM Omar Abdullah

Abdullah said he would go by senior BJP leader Ram Madhav’s tweet wherein he denied the reports. (Express Photo by Shuaib Masoodi)

National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah on Monday reiterated his demand for dissolution of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly and said the situation in Kashmir is not conducive for polls. His party, however, would take part in the democratic exercise whenever it is held, he added.

“The National Conference has gone on record to demand the dissolution of the assembly. It is the cure for all the rumours about horse trading, splitting of political parties and government formation,” Abdullah told reporters here. “We will contest the elections whenever they are held. The reality is that the situation in Jammu may be conducive for polls but the situation in Kashmir is very grave,” the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister added.

The NC, Abdullah said, does not demand immediate elections as it understands that it will take time to create a conducive climate. When asked whether the NC would move the Supreme Court for dissolution of the assembly, he said it is something that the party has not yet decided.

Speaking about the speculations about the BJP trying to form the government in the state again with rebel PDP MLAs, Abdullah said he would go by senior BJP leader Ram Madhav’s tweet wherein he denied the reports.

BJP general secretary Ram Madhav on Saturday said his party was for continuing with governor’s rule in the state in the interest of peace, governance and development. His comments came after Abdullah tweeted a news report that claimed “a big chunk of PDP MLAs are in touch with the BJP high command.”

Abdullah said the BJP’s state unit, however, was telling people otherwise. “Let us see who is right and who is wrong,” he said. When asked if the BJP had reached out to him for government formation, the NC leader replied in the negative. He asserted his party was not indulging in horse trading and would not have any role in disintegration of the PDP.

Abdullah rejected the BJP’s claim that the situation in the Valley had improved since the imposition of the governor’s rule. “A few days ago, three civilians were killed in the Kulgam district. I don’t see any improvement in the situation. The militant activities too haven’t gone down,” he said. “May be sitting in Delhi they feel that the situation is improving, but I don’t think so sitting here in Kashmir,” he added. He refused to comment on media speculation about the Islamic State gaining a foothold in Kashmir.

The NC leader said Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra should work to restore the peace that prevailed in the state during the tenure of his government. “The atmosphere of brotherhood in the Jammu region, for which my government worked between 2009 and 2014, needs to be restored. There is a world of difference between the prevailing situation and that of 2014,” Abdullah said. The situation, he added, had only worsened.

The NC leader blamed the erstwhile PDP-BJP government for the mess in the state. “Today they are admitting that the government and Mehbooba Mufti as chief minister failed. This is what we were saying for three years. It was an inept government run by inefficient people,” he said.

The former chief minister said allegations of corruption against the ministers of the PDP-BJP government had come to light and his party would take them up with Vohra. “Many people have reached out to us and levelled allegations of corruption against ministers of the previous government. All these will be taken up with the governor and we hope there will be a fair probe,” he said.

Abdullah asked the NC leaders and workers to reach out to the people across the state. He asked them to generate awareness about the NC’s mission, which, he said, is not to come to power in the state but to steer it out of its problems, ensure equitable development in all regions and maintain brotherhood.